2013 Subaru Outback — Problems & Complaints
NHTSA has 297 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.
Subaru Outback — Complaints by Model Year
Years flagged AVOID have at least twice this model's average complaint count — the strongest public-data signal of a bad year.
360 complaints
652 complaints
292 complaints
297 complaints
208 complaints
509 complaints
642 complaints
917 complaints
813 complaints
1,035 complaints
899 complaints
What Owners Complain About Most
Recent Owner Reports
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE THE GARAGE, A CRACK FORMED ON THE UPPER PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE CHECKED THE SECURITY FOOTAGE AROUND HIS HOME WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND SAW NO EVIDENCE OF AN IMPACT TO THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT STATED THE CRACK IMPAIRED HIS VISI…
IN MOTION DRIVING STRAIGHT DOWN COUNTY ROUTE 80 ON A GOOD WEATHER DAY SLOWED DOWN GOING TO TURN INTO A SHOP AND TAKATA AIRBAG DEPLOYED. WAS LOUD BANG AND HORN WOULD NOT STOP GOING OFF. PULLED OFF ROAD IN FRONT OF A ART GALLERY, CALLED AAA THEY TOWED CAR TO A GARAGE CALLED "DON'S AUTO BARN" IN NEW WOODSTOCK, NY. DRIVERS HAND HURT BUT NOT TO THE POINT OF SEEING MD. HE IS A MD…
WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON I-5 NEAR ORLAND, CA ON 12/26/18 WHEN MY OUTBACK BEGAN SHAKING AND ATTEMPTING TO "BRAKE" (I WAS DOING BETWEEN 65 - 70 MPH). I LOOKED DOWN AND THE PARKING BRAKE SIGNAL WAS ILLUMINATED. (I HAD NOT ENGAGED THE BRAKE.) I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I DISENGAGED THE BRAKE AND RESUMED. IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND CALLED MY SUBARU DE…
EXCESSIVE OIL USAGE, REGULARLY OCCURS WITHIN 6000 MILES OF OIL CHANGE BURNS ONE QUART OF SYNTHETIC ENGINE OIL. ALSO NOTE BUSHING IN DRIVERS SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM HAS FAILED AS OF 50,000.
OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM. OIL LIGHT COMES ON BEFORE RECOMMENDED OIL CHANGE. DID 1200 MILE OIL CONSUMPTION TEST WITH NO OIL BURNED. AT ABOUT 5,000 MILES OIL LIGHT COMES ON AGAIN. I BELIEVE THERE IS A TSB OUT BUT I BELIEVE SUBARU SHOULD FIX PROBLEM REGARDLESS OF EXPENSE. STILL UNDER WARRANTY. STILL WORKING WITH DEALER WHO HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SO FAR. *TR
Recalls & Crash Tests
Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2013 Subaru Outback, or check your exact car by VIN with the free VIN lookup.
Problems Checker
Any year, make and model: open the Car Problems Checker. Data: NHTSA (US DOT, public domain), cached up to 7 days.